Book Finder

Effa Manley, born when jazz was new and sports were segregated, was passionate about fairness and baseball. She was to become the first woman inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame along with players from the Negro Baseball League. Her life is presented in stylized illustration and clear text, for an intriguing portrait of a person and a time.

No one knew that when “Bus #2857 rolled off the assembly line in 1948…[that it] would be famous…” but it did when a woman refused to give up her seat on that bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks’ story of bravery is effectively told in simple text and illustration. That bus is now in Michigan’s Henry Ford Museum.

The life and music of Odetta who became an influential folksinger and civil rights activist is revealed in lyrical, rhythmic language and evocative, swirling illustration. An affectionate afterword by the author provides factual information about the person and her influence.

The story of a Polish woman who helped over 400 Jewish children escape Nazi-occupied Warsaw is presented in a sophisticated, evocative, realistically illustrated picture book format. Source notes and additional resources conclude this riveting account.

This is the true story of a brave six-year-old child who found the strength to walk through protesters and enter a whites-only school in New Orleans in 1960. The sepia watercolors capture the warmth of Ruby’s family and community.

The life of early voting rights advocate, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, is presented in a compelling text and engaging watercolor illustrations.

Elinor Smith was a girl whose dream of flying was realized in the 1920s, a time when girls and women weren’t encouraged to do so. Based on a real person, Elinor’s story is well told and dramatically illustrated. Equally interesting is the author’s endnote in which she reveals how she researched this fascinating woman.

The combined talent of three geniuses — Martha Graham’s choreography, Isamu Noguchi’s art, and Aaron Copland’s music — brought the ballet “Appalachian Spring” to life in October 1944. Graceful illustrations combine with poetic, highly detailed narrative for a riveting account of this achievement. Notes and sources are included.

1961. Nearly two decades before Sally Ride — there was Jerrie Cobb. Cobb was one of the top female pilots in the country and completed all the astronaut testing the Mercury 7 men did. She excelled at all the tests. Proved she had the Right Stuff. Twelve other female pilots followed her, passing the tests they took with flying colors. When they were told there was no room for women in the space program, they took they’re cause to Congress.

Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States, led the nation through its darkest hour — the Civil War. Find out about Lincoln’s childhood on a frontier farm, how a struggling small town lawyer became president, and why he is one of America’s most revered and beloved leaders.

Amelia Earhart was a fiesty 11-year-old when she saw her first air show. Little did she know that a passing fancy for airplanes would develop into a full-throttled passion. As a committed social worker, feminist and record-breaking female pilot, Amelia’s disappearance while flying over the South Pacific remains one of our greatest mysteries.

The author recalls moving from the city to a farm on Middlebury Road. There the family had dogs, cats, fowl, and a cow. The young narrator, whose birthday is coming up, longs for a horse. Richly detailed watercolors warmly evoke a family, farm life, and a dream.

Say narrates the saga of his grandfather who as a young man travels to the United States in the early 20th century, marries, and returns to Japan. Watercolor portraits of people and places glimpse the contrast of cultures and parallel the lives of grandfather and grandson. It could lead to a discovery of family histories. Country of origin: Japan

Poverty didn’t stop this girl from working hard, reading lots of books, and graduating top in her class. Meet young Sonia Sotomayor, the child who grew up to become the first Latina Supreme Court justice. Her life is presented through a jaunty, positive narrative and warm-toned illustrations that capture the warmth and joy of Sotomayor’s family and story. A bit of background information concludes the engaging glimpse of a contemporary figure.

Lush, realistic illustrations combine with a simple text to suggest what it must have been like when the pioneering Jackie Robinson played ball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Additional factual information is included in what is made to look like baseball cards on each page. The result is a handsome book that can be appreciated by different ages.

Katie Casey follows her passion for baseball and winds up playing for one of the professional girls’ teams — and wins. The little known opening of a well-known tune, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” inspired this fictionalized look at the professional all-girls baseball league that thrived during World War II.

Ted Williams never flinched at hard work or a challenge. In his last season with the Boston Red Sox, Williams had to decide if he wanted to take the chance and lose his rare .400 average or go to bat. Williams’ decision creates a riveting read in this handsome and thoughtful look at one man’s ethics and the times in which he lived.

The baseball card of “…the bandy-legged son of German immigrants” sold for almost three million dollars in 2007. Honus Wagner was an all-around player who could hit, run, and play shortstop equally well. Highlights of his life and some of the myths that swirled up around him are presented in evocative, energetic text and handsome paintings.

Did you know that as a boy, Pelé played soccer in bare feet with a grapefruit instead of a soccer ball? Monica Brown shares the inspirational story of the beloved soccer star’s rise from humble beginnings to becoming El rey del fútbol. Rudy Gutiérrez’s brilliant and fluid illustrations of Pelé and “the beautiful game” of soccer leap off the page. Bilingual text. Curriculum guide(opens in a new window) available.

Meet young Rolihlahla, the boy who will grow up to become Nelson Mandela. From his childhood in the South African countryside, to his election as the first black president in South Africa’s history, Mandela’s extra-ordinary life is a story of courage, persistence, hope, and belief.

Lively language and energetic illustrations create a memorable portrait of a woman who was to become known as Sojourner Truth. She was “Big. Black. Beautiful. True.” Just like her name. Further information and photographs of Sojourner Truth completes this dynamic, fictionalized biography.

A child with great potential was born in Florida in 1923 to the “Tiger Family in the powerful Snake Clan,” part of the Seminole Tribe. She listened to the history of her people and made it herself as the first female tribal leader. Evocative illustrations and additional information complete this unusual biography.

“My name is Gabriela Mistral. It is a name I chose myself because I like the sound of it.” With these words, Monica Brown introduces us to the Chilean poet and author who, in 1945, became the first Latin American writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The lyrical text and exquisite illustrations bring Gabriela’s childhood and talent to life for young readers.

The author/illustrator of much-loved picture books is introduced here from her Minnesota childhood to the publication of her Newbery Honor book, Millions of Cats (1928). Each double page spread includes a quote from Gag’s diary followed by a straightforward text coupled with an evocative illustration. An author’s note includes more information, a photograph of Gag, and sources used.